Currently, an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion and a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion are used widely for the reasons that they can provide the skin with greater comfort of use (e.g., softness and emollience). The O/W emulsion consists of an aqueous continuous phase and an oily dispersed phase, and the W/O emulsion consists of an oily continuous phase and an aqueous dispersed phase. The O/W emulsion is more preferred in the cosmetics field, since it comprises an aqueous phase as the external phase, which gives the skin a fresher, less greasy and lighter feel than the W/O emulsion.
For example, WO2009/080659 discloses an O/W emulsion containing a hydrophobically modified inulin and at least one thickening polysaccharide of plant origin, which has good stability even without conventional surfactants such as polyglyceryl ester. Further such an O/W emulsion brings good watery skin sensation and non-sticky after feel.